Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic disease in children, and is more common than cancer and cystic fibrosis.

DID YOU KNOW? People with Type 1 diabetes face many serious long term health complications.

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong incurable disease, and without daily insulin injections people with Type 1 diabetes would die.

DID YOU KNOW? The cost to Australia of Type 1 diabetes is estimated to be $600m per annum.

DID YOU KNOW? Over 275 people a day are newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

DID YOU KNOW? Nearly 1 million Australians have Type 2 diabetes.

DID YOU KNOW? The cost to Australia of diabetes is nearly $7billion per annum.

DID YOU KNOW? Over 60% of people with Type 2 diabetes can overcome it with fitness and healthy lifestyle.

Stage 2 & 3 -Ron

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

STAGE 2 Mars in the Gobi. About 39km. 6:14

Homestay was amazing. Each tent stayed in a room of the house. We slept on an elevated platform with layers of carpet. Despite temps of 30+ outside it was really cool in the house. Also very dark, headlamp required. We fund the candles just as we were leaving.

Team started well, but about halfway, Matts Stomach problems slowed him, as well as a knee injury. Roger was improved, but still not comfortable.

So for the last 2 sections, we walked almost all the distance. We felt the first real heat today, on a bitumen road in a valley at the end of the stage.We got in ok and camped in a recently slashed field in a town called Langerfville.

A feature of the villages and farm areas, is the use of a border of trees as weather “shields” around the areas.

STAGE 3 The farmlands of Langerfield.

Matt awoke with a fever, no appetite and feeling washed out. From the start he was struggling. He walked strongly, but was unable to run.

It was supposed to be an easy day, but in the middle sections we came upon kilometers of ravines, 10-20m deep. They were steep and extremely slippery going down That tested us all, but Matt, with a loss of strength had to battle really hard. He had a 15min rest at CP2. By CP 3 the terrain was easier, and Matt got to his feet after only a 5 min rest. That was a good sign, as well as a strong walk out of the CP. The last section was a vehicle track, which sounds, but we climbed 400m in 8km.

Today we climbed 700m to 2500m. It’s cloudy now and quite cool. A bit different to yesterday when it was over 30deg at this time 8pm.

Tomorrow will be more difficult, so we all hope that Matt wakes feeling a lot better.

We go to a feature tomorrow, called Heaven Gate. A huge natural arch.

I’ll detail blog on it tomorrow.

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